Per Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press, the NFL will not endeavor to continue the Monday night game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals that was postponed after Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field in the first quarter.
Maaddi spoke with two NFL sources on terms of anonymity, because the league is still trying to figure out how to best handle a cancelled game.
Perhaps the best way for the league to move forward is to award the Bills and Bengals a tie.
That would put the Bills at 12-3-1 on the season, with the Bengals moving to 11-4-1. Buffalo would remain the AFC’s second-seed behind the 13-3 Kansas City Chiefs, and the Bengals would remain the AFC’s third seed. The Jacksonville Jaguars are the AFC’s current fourth-seed at 8-8, so there’s no possible way this could muck up the top of the conference.
The Bills have already wrapped up the AFC East. Where it gets a bit more complicated is in the AFC North. The Baltimore Ravens, the AFC’s sixth-seed, have a 10-6 record, and they face the Bengals on Sunday. If the Ravens win to move to 11-6, and the Bengals lose to move to 11-5-1, the Bengals would have the division even though the Ravens swept them.
It’s not the ideal situation — you’d prefer for this to work itself out on the field. But in states of emergency, concessions have to be made so that business can be conducted in the most intelligent, efficient, and sensitive way possible.
Doctors at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center revealed in a Thursday press conference that Hamlin is awake and communicating with gestures and in writing. He is still in critical condition, but there are multiple signs of encouragement.
When Hamlin awoke, he asked his care team who had won the game. Their response was inspiring.
Doctors said after Damar Hamlin awakened last night, he asked in writing who won the game. Doctors told him: “Yes, you won. You’ve won the game of life.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 5, 2023
The Bills, who are scheduled to play the New England Patriots on Sunday, are practicing today for the first time since Hamlin’s cardiac arrest, and they will have media availability after practice.